Surprise

There was a note stuck by the fridge. I yawned and read it. The handwriting was a little messy, and the curves of the letters almost didn't make sense.

"Eh, what?"

Rubbing my eyes, it seems that Priscilla left a note for me. She would be home late, and there was food ready inside the microwave.

When I opened the microwave, there were two tubs. One was white pasta, and the other was the rice cakes Fifi and I had fought over last night.

I licked my lips and almost jumped out of my skin when someone bumped my leg.

Fifi yawned beside me. She was holding a white stuffed bunny while absent-mindedly making her way to sit at the kitchen table.

"I'm hungry."

Her hair was messy, and she looked adorably cute in her pink pajamas. It made me wonder if I happened to have a kid. I hope they would be this adorable.

Folding my arms over my chest, I pulled the rice cake out and moved it inside the fridge. The pasta would spoil fast. Hence, it was imperative to finish it first.

"Tell me, Fifi, I'm curious."

"About?"

I turned to her, and she looked at me with bright eyes, waiting for me to go on. In this form, she appeared to be innocent.

"Were you a living person before?"

Fifi pursed her tiny lips. She pouted and hugged the stuffed animal fiercely.

"Why do you want to know?"

I shrugged in time for the microwave to sound an alert for the pasta. For a minute, I tended to the food before preparing orange juice.

"I'm curious about a lot of stuff ever since," I gestured at my body. "This happened. So, if you could enlighten me, that wouldn't go unappreciated."

"Honestly?" Fifi spoke. "I don't remember. Nirvana has been my home, and everyone called me Esther. When Master Nichen asked me to be your companion, I didn't want to go at first. But he said I could choose a new name once we get here. How could I say no to that?"

I chuckled.

Somehow, I expected her simple-mindedness about this matter.

"What made you choose the name Fifi, then?"

"I just heard it and found it cute."

"Eh, what did I expect?"

"Things should stay simple and not be complicated. Humans love to complicate things."

I couldn't even argue with her.

"Get the plates ready and utensils. They are in the lower drawer, so you can reach them just fine."

While I set the pasta and two glasses filled with juice on the table, Fifi put the plates and fork in our places from last night.

If I would forget about our situation, I could easily imagine I was really Exo, and this was something normal.

"That smells yummy. My stomach is agreeing." Fifi reached for the bowl and scooped a good amount, filling her plate.

I sat there and stared at her. She seemed to be enjoying living as a human. Perhaps, I made a mistake in trying to change what had already been decided.

But then, when I think about it, the choice I made was why she gained this human form.

"You should thank me." Fifi looked up from eating the pasta, her lips covered in white sauce. "You had this upgrade because I tried to change something."

Fifi narrowed her gaze, and she stared daggers at me.

"Don't remind me about that or," she slammed the fork on the table, surprising me. "I'll stab you alive."

I gasped.

"I should have recorded that. Look at you, threatening me. That's inappropriate for a kid your age."

"I'm not a kid."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Fifi made a face and continued eating. She munched on her pasta, her eyes never leaving me.

The doorbell rang—a buzz that sounded like an annoying bee. I was just about to take my first bite of the pasta before jumping in the shower and starting the day.

"It could be our mother," Fifi said with her mouth full. She mumbled the rest of her sentence.

"I can guarantee that it isn't her."

Grabbing a bite, I pushed the chair back and got up to get to the door.

My annoyance immediately disappeared upon seeing who was on the other side.

Dread, panic, my legs turning to jelly; losing my bravado was terrible timing. Additionally, I was wearing a lousy shirt that said I was a superhuman.

The doorbell rang, the other person incessantly pressing the button outside. Just when I thought about running to grab the bathrobe I saw hanging by the bathroom door, Fifi came running and opened the door before I could stop her.

Squealing with excitement, Fifi threw herself at Winter, and the latter put down the white box she was holding and held Fifi like they had always been close.

I stood there, still trying to grasp the fact that Winter, my childhood crush, was standing before me.

In the flesh.

"Big sis!" Fifi jumped up and down, stretching her arms, and asked Winter to carry her. The latter did, throwing her in the air a little.

'Big sis?'

I mentally scoffed.

Fifi glanced my way. She wrapped her arms around Winter; a smirk was on her lips.

[Are you jealous?]

I curled my hands into fists.

'Are you doing this on purpose?'

[...]

[So what if I am?]

I cleared my throat. Winter looked my way, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Exo!" she put Fifi down and picked up the box. With an angry grunt, she stomped toward me and dropped the carriage.

It wasn't heavy, but I stumbled back at the sudden force handed to me.

I blinked, not understanding why she looked annoyed, and it was directed at me.

"You brat!"

Thwack!

She even smacked me in the head, and I had to admit, that woman was something.

I stared at the box and then at Winter, fighting my trembling insides.

"What's this?"

Winter folded her arms over her chest. I immediately looked away.

She glared my way, letting out a scoff.

"That's what I'm going to ask you. What the hell is that?"

With my brows furrowed, I opened the box and saw a cake. There was a 'Happy Birthday' on it. I stared at Winter and forgot how to breathe.

"Happy Birthday!"